The objective of the Opera Projects and Production Award is to support initiatives by professional practitioners in the development and presentation of opera at three distinct stages, encouraging both the development of work of high artistic quality, and also the fully staged professional presentations of opera that engage with the public, providing opportunities for artists in the process.

Closing date: 5.30pm, 29 April 2021

There are three bands of funding available corresponding to the three strands of the Opera Projects and Production Award:

• Strand 1: Opera Projects: Development: up to a maximum of €20,000
• Strand 2: Opera Projects: Developmental Presentation and smaller scale full production: up to a maximum of €110,000
• Strand 3: Opera Production: up to a maximum of €450,000

In each of the three strands of the award, priority will be given to applications that demonstrate:

• A clear artistic vision and evidence that the proposed project is or is likely to be of high-artistic quality; the track record of key artistic personnel will be taken into account
• Significant development and professional opportunities for professional opera practitioners
• A strong focus on pubic engagement  (Where projects involve presentation to the public)
• A clear alignment with the Council’s policy and strategy priorities for opera.

Application process

Full details of the application process can be found here

Guidelines

To be eligible to apply, applicants must:

• Be resident/based in the Republic of Ireland. There are certain exceptions where the Arts Council may deem eligible applications made by those resident/based outside the Republic of Ireland. However, before admitting as eligible any such application, the Arts Council would need to be satisfied that the outcomes of any such proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
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• The Arts Council is committed to equity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from individuals or groups within culturally diverse communities and from people with disabilities.

While opera companies in receipt of Strategic Funding are not eligible to apply, other organisations (such as producing venues) in receipt of Strategic Funding or Arts Grant Funding may apply, provided that any activity and related funding is demonstrated to be additional to, and separate from, the activities for which that organisation has received Strategic Funding or Arts Grant Funding.

While opera companies in receipt of Strategic Funding are not eligible to apply, they may on occasion play a positive role in supporting or partnering with OPP applicants. In such instances, the applicant and the supporting company must verify that the support offered and the proposed role of the funded organisation is additional to, and separate from, the activities for which that organisation has received Strategic Funding, and that the funded opera producer will not publicly or otherwise present the work as a production or co-production as part of its programme.